Rajkumar Boaz Johnson

Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies

Growing up in the slums of New Delhi, Dr. Rajkumar Boaz Johnson’s search for the meaning of life began early. When he walked to Hindu grammar school, Dr. Johnson faced a dilemma. “I encountered two different realities,” he says. “One was the reality of poverty and injustice. The other was that of high-caste Hindu learning.” He wrestled with this dichotomy, and expanded his spiritual search.

“The philosophy of life taught and espoused by Jesus the Messiah, as seen in the Gospels, captured my mind and imagination,” Dr. Johnson says, “I realized that in this person lay the answers to the questions that plagued my mind.” Decades later, that initial encounter with Jesus continues to fascinate Dr. Johnson, and informs his life and work as an expert on the relationship of evangelical Christianity to world religions.

Today, Dr. Johnson walks with students grappling with their own big questions. He treasures the diversity of thought and experience within North Park’s biblical and theological studies department. “It is a joy to mentor students and see them develop their own skills, which incorporate their faith journey with their academic learning,” he says.

Education

PhD, Hebrew Bible/Theological Studies, Trinity International University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Recent Publications and Presentations

Boaz Johnson. “The Use of the Old Testament in the Syrian Orthodox Jacobite and Marthomite Traditions.” In The Old Testament Scripture in the Early Churches of the East: Bible in the Christian Orthodox Tradition vol. 1, edited by Vahann Hovhanessian. New York: Peter Lang, 2010.